The WNBA’s most anticipated offseason is officially underway after the league and its players’ union reached a verbal agreement in principle early Wednesday on a transformative new collective bargaining agreement, unlocking free agency for more than 100 veterans — including nearly every major star in the league.
Players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next month, according to Spotrac, read like an All-Star roster: A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Kahleah Copper, Arike Ogunbowale, Jackie Young, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner and dozens more.
Why the flood of available talent? Nearly the entire veteran class structured contracts to expire after the 2025 season. The WNBPA opted out of the prior CBA in 2024, and both sides imposed a moratorium on free agency and qualifying offers in January while negotiations dragged on. With the deal now in hand, those players — who represent roughly 80% of the league’s non-rookie talent — can negotiate new contracts under dramatically improved economics. Only a handful of players, mostly on rookie-scale deals such as Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, remain under contract heading into 2026.
Players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next month, per @Spotrac:
A'ja Wilson
Breanna Stewart
Sabrina Ionescu
Kelsey Plum
Napheesa Collier
Jewell Loyd
Kahleah Copper
Arike Ogunbowale
Jackie Young
Kelsey Mitchell
Sophie Cunningham
Emma Meesseman
Gabby Williams
Satou…— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) March 18, 2026
Key points of the new CBA The agreement, pending formal ratification by players and the league’s board of governors, ties salaries directly to revenue growth for the first time and ensures the 2026 season tips off on time May 8. Highlights include: • A salary cap starting at $7 million per team — more than quadrupling the 2025 figure of $1.5 million. • Supermax contracts beginning at $1.4 million (up from $249,244). • Average player salary climbing to approximately $600,000 (from $120,000). • Minimum salaries surpassing $300,000 (from $66,079). • Nearly 20% average revenue share for players across the deal’s life.
The changes will produce the league’s first million-dollar players and fund major upgrades in housing, facilities, staffing, family planning and retirement benefits.
Spotlight on the marquee free agents A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) — The four-time MVP and two-time champion remains the face of the league. Her decision will set the market; the Aces are expected to do everything possible to retain her.
Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) — The two-time MVP and 2024 champion is the premier two-way forward available. New York will fight to keep the core intact.
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) — The dynamic point guard and 2024 Finals MVP brings elite playmaking and shooting.
Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) — A perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and scoring threat who anchored the Lynx’s recent playoff runs.
Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale — Seattle’s Loyd and Dallas’ Ogunbowale are the league’s top volume scorers; both could command max deals and reshape contending rosters.
Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Kelsey Mitchell — Elite guards who could spark bidding wars among title contenders.
Brittney Griner, Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas — Proven veterans whose experience and versatility will be prized by teams eyeing immediate contention.
The two expansion teams — the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo — will hold their draft before free agency opens, adding another layer of roster upheaval.
Teams and agents expect a compressed but frenzied negotiation window once the deal is ratified. While many stars are projected to re-sign with current clubs, the combination of massive cap space, two new franchises and generational pay increases guarantees one of the most unpredictable offseasons in WNBA history.
The 30th season is set to begin with unprecedented parity — and unprecedented spending.
